In December 2005 the European Council adopted the EU-Africa Strategy, setting up a comprehensive, integrated and long-term framework for EU relations with the African continent. As the first test case for applying such a strategy, in November 2006 the European Commission issued the Communication entitled "Strategy for Africa: An EU regional partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa", which is examined in the report by Kaczmarek.
The report addresses the deficiencies and gaps of the Commission's Communication, however, the rapporteur agrees with four assumptions which appear to be the basis for the proposed strategy:
1. There is no sustainable development without lasting peace (and vice versa), and no lasting peace without effective involvement of African regional institutions;
2. A regional perspective, or "a regional deal", is required to find solutions to individual conflicts;
3. Regional integration initiatives will be successful when addressing common challenges, and not only when addressing existing conflicts: regional integration axes should be built around water, food security, desertification, and not around boundaries or ethnic disputes;
4. The EU, as such, has a major role to play in the region. It can and must export its own model of regional integration = lasting peace.
"This Report and Communication of European Commission are just the start of a process. The final goal is to set up an EU Regional Strategy for the region. At the same time, the EU Member States have their own external actions in the Horn. Thus, this report is addressed to the EU Member Sates as much as to the Commission", said Kaczmarek after the vote.
For further information:
Filip KACZMAREK MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845317
Marcin Trojanowski, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-484059521
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